Last week, I spent sometime visiting the Nottingham NSPCC & and ChildLine HQ. Its taken me a few days to just be able to sit down and write about it. I found the time I spent there powerful and emotional and I wanted to be able to convey to my readers the amazing role that the NSPCC has, especially concentrating on ChildLine.
I wrote last month that I was a Ambassador for the Letter from Santa campaign, where NSPCC raise funds to help children, children that need help, someone to speak to, a safe place to talk. They may be being abused both mentally or physically, are depressed or self harm, so many real and heart breaking reasons. I think its important to point out that 90% of the NSPCC’s income comes from voluntary donations. So by people requesting a Letter from Santa, or donating this year you are making a donation to the NSPCC and you’re helping the NSPCC to be able to give children a voice. {Links to do so at bottom of this page}
To give children a voice, is something that has been continually on my mind since my visit. That sometimes just one phone call to ChildLine can set that child on a a possible future that is without hurt or abuse. That they might be protected from the dangers that they are in, whether it be at Christmas time, or all year round.
I met some amazing people on my visit, but even though they do the most terrific job, they were very quick to point out that it’s the children are amazing, whether its the ones that are too young to man the phone but volunteer, or the brave children that they speak to on the calls. A powerful message I think.
Nottingham ChildLine has 135 volunteers, but they are always looking for more, so if you think that you might want to volunteer, than please I urge you they need more people, and would welcome you. They will provide you will full training, and the tools to enable you to take the calls and support the children making them.
I think as a Mum to a soon to be teenager, I found the recent NSPCC report (31st October) On the Edge (pdf), really disturbing, as it revealed disturbing trends in the increased unhappiness of young people in Britain.
ChildLine (UK) held 34,517 counselling sessions in 2013/14 with children who talked about suicide – a 117% increase since 2010/11. Nearly 6,000 of these children told a counsellor they had previously attempted suicide – a 43% increase on the year before. The vast majority of these children had not revealed their feelings to anyone else.
Here as some examples of calls that are made to ChildLine.
All names and potentially identifying details have been changed to protect the identity of the child or young person. Snapshots are created from real ChildLine contacts but are not necessarily direct quotes from the young person.
I started self-harming when my Mum left us. Mum and Dad were always fighting and Mum had a problem with alcohol. Mum was always there for me, and now I don’t see her anymore. Dad won’t let me have any contact with her. I don’t want to tell my dad how I feel as I don’t want to upset him. It doesn’t feel good to cut but I need to. I think it might bring Mum back to me and it allows me space to think and concentrate on something else. It feels good talking to ChildLine as I can say how I feel and ChildLine listens to me. (Teenage female)
When I get angry I self-harm. I get angry when I am called names at school. Self-harming makes the anger go away. I have tried other ways of coping but nothing works. Talking to ChildLine helps as I have no-one else to talk to. (Teenage female)
I have been cutting for a while, I can’t talk to my parents about it as they are the reason I self-harm. My parents shout at me, I feel so much pressure, cutting is a real release for me. I have contacted ChildLine as I needed to tell someone, no-one else understands me.
I’m really feeling suicidal at the moment. I have been to hospital before as I have tried to end my life by taking an overdose. I’m bullied at school and I’m feeling so angry with my dad. He drinks a lot and moved away a year ago. Sometimes going for a walk can help and I’m really close to my mum. I have medication for my severe depression, but I really feel like it isn’t working. I’m so glad ChildLine can help me. (Teenage male)
I cut myself the other day. I cut because some people at school made me feel angry. When I get urges to self-harm, it’s like a pain I can’t ignore and I need to set it free. No-one knows I self-harm, I don’t feel I can tell anyone – only ChildLine. I have tried to write things down, but the words don’t come out. I worry sometimes that I could get infections from cutting. (Teenage female)
I think its when you read about the work that the NSPCC and ChildLine do that it really becomes real the importance of donating. I am donating right now, how about you?
Donation page (scroll down page to donate)
Donna says
I used to work with a woman who was a ChildLine volunteer. It was a very worthwhile thing to do – but something I knew I wouldn’t be capable of as I’d get personally involved. As a mum, I think I’d take all the sad stories home with me and get very affected. But I’m very happy to donate.
Amanda Cottingham says
So did I Donna, and I was thinking about her, when I visited. I think it does take a special kind of person to do it, with skill I know I don’t possess, I know I definitely wouldn’t be able to after visiting. I was blown away by the people there, so compassionate.